Greenwatch: Arctic temperatures at record highs

Report says Arctic temperatures at record highsSource: APAutumn temperatures in the Arctic are at record levels, the Arctic Ocean is getting warmer and less salty as sea ice melts, and reindeer herds appear to be declining, says the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Its third annual Arctic report card showed autumn air temperatures in the Arctic at a record 5C above normal.

Kangaroos at risk from climate changeSource: Mongabay.comA 2C rise in temperature could trigger significant range contraction for kangaroos in Australia and put one species at high risk of extinction, reports research published in the December issue of Physiological and Biochemical Zoology. Researchers from the James Cook University in Australia forecast the impact of various temperature scenarios on four species of kangaroos over the next 50 years. They found that even a 0.5C increase in temperature could reduce kangaroos' geographic ranges, while an increase of 2C may shrink.

Solar power industry a bright light amid economic gloomSource: Statesman.comWhile most sectors of the economy are struggling, many in the solar business say they don't have enough products or employees to meet demand. On Wall Street, solar stocks are a rare bright spot. On October 3 the industry received a welcome boost after the US government extended federal investment tax credits for renewable energy projects as part of the revamped financial bailout bill.

Second generation biofuels cause controversySource: Mongabay.comSecond generation biofuel – so-called because it does not involve food crops – has excited many researchers and policymakers who hope for a sustainable energy source that lowers carbon emissions. However, some believe that cellulosic ethanol, which is produced from wood waste, pulpwood and wood chips, may prove less-than-perfect. Just as agricultural biofuels have gone from being considered "green" to an environmental disaster, some think the new rush to cellulosic biofuel will follow the same course.

Scientists to probe Antarctica for sea rise cluesSource: ReutersScientists will visit a vulnerable part of an Antarctic ice shelf this year to work out if it will crack off in coming decades and perhaps trigger a rise in sea levels, they said Thursday. Researchers, including scientists from the University of Edinburgh and working with the British Antarctic Survey, will drill into the ice and use radars on the Larsen C ice shelf on the Antarctic peninsula, the nearest part to South America. A chunk of the shelf, Larsen A, broke off in 1995 and another part, Larsen B, in 2002. The remaining Larsen C is about 10 times larger — about the size of Scotland.